8/28/09
Racine Shines at Beantown
Steve Racine, who we found inconsistent between the pipes at Taft last winter, could do little wrong at last week’s Beantown Summer Classic, leading all Pro Division goaltenders by allowing only two goals in the tourney. If the tournament had an MVP, Racine, who will be playing his senior season with the Lincoln Stars (USHL), would get our vote.Let’s look at the Pro Division team-by-team.
Royals:
The Royals (3-0-2) won it all and were the only undefeated team in the Pro Division, as they beat the previously unbeaten and untied Outlaws 2-1 in the championship game, behind the goaltending of Brad Barone and Nick BonDurant.
Brad Barone, G, 5-11/170, Roxbury Latin, 12/2/90 – Showed the masses what he can do.
Nick BonDurant, G, 6-1/182, Choate, 3/1/91 – Only allowed one goal over final three games. Big year coming up for him.
Colin Shea, D, 6-2/170, Junior Bruins, 5/12/91 – Smooth.
Mike Reardon, D, 6-1/185, Noble & Greenough, 5/5/92 – One of prep hockey’s elite d-men.
Matt Harlow, C, 5-10/160, Noble & Greenough, 10/3/92 – Good hands, hockey sense, and work ethic.
T.J Powers, F, 6-0/175, Williston-Northampton, 9/15/91 – A sleeper
Tommy O'Regan, F, 6-0/192, St. Sebastian’s, 3/30/92 – Pro-style power forward.
Outlaws:
The Outlaws finished in second place. They probably had the best personnel in the tourney.
Nick Lovejoy, D, 6-2/206, Deerfield, 10/3/91 – Dartmouth recruit battled injury here.
Cody Ferriero, C, 6-0/190, Governor’s Academy, 12/19/91 – BC recruit scored four goals.
Garnet Hathaway, C, 6-2/191, Phillips Andover, 11/23/91 – Will step out from under Kreider’s shadow this season.
Mike Pereira, F, 5-10/170, South Kent School, 11/24/91 – Plus speed. Leading scorer here.
Charles Vasaturo, D, 6-3/205, Salmon Arm Silverbacks (BCHL), 12/7/90 -- Big and strong.
Steven Racine, G, 6-2/180, Lincoln Stars (USHL), 8/28/91 – See above.
Warriors:
Finished in third place. Most players were just ordinary.
Brian Billet, G, 6-1/180, NH Jr. Monarchs, 3/19/92 -- Was just OK; hasn’t had a great summer. BC recruit.
Chiefs:
Fourth place. Had some good players, but fell short.
Eric Neiley, C, 5-11/180, Phillips Exeter, 1/30/92 -- A new prep player to follow
Kyle Smith, F, 6-0/165, Junior Bruins, 2/14/92 – UNH recruit
Andrew Tegeler, F, 6-2/175, Westminster School, 8/5/92 – Yet another new prep player to follow.
Chris Wagner, F, 6-0/200, South Shore Kings, 5/27/91 – Excellent tourney; really stood out. Colgate recruit
Conquistadors:
Fifth place. Goaltending fell short.
Marc-Anthoine Carriere, D, 5-10/170, Northwood School, 4/10/92 – Mobile d-man from Quebec.
George Welles, F, 5-10/165, Avon Old Farms, 2/24/92 – Didn’t even notice him at Avon last year.
Apaches:
Sixth place. Had better players than record indicates.
Alec Butler, D, 6-3/195, Junior Bruins, 4/15/91 -- Solid physical presence.
Colin Downey, F, 5-10/175, Junior Bruins, 9/16/89 -- Very good skater. A graybeard.
Brandon McNally, C, 6-1/195, Belmont Hill, 2/8/92 -- Has potential to do far more.
Zach Luczyk, F, 5-11/192, Junior Bruins, 2/26/92 -- Has hockey sense.
Brian Ward, F, 6-1/195, Governor’s Academy – Very good showing here. Second-leading scorer.
Branden Komm, G, 6-0/190, Northfield-Mt. Hermon, 3/19/91 – Seems more confident.
Saints:
The reason they finished in Seventh place: too many average performances. The following were the exceptions.
Tommy Dwyer, F, 6-2/185, Brunswick School, 11/8/92 -- Underager competing in Pro division; big strong kid.
Max Fenkell, G, 5-9/160, Phillips Exeter, 4/15/91 – Allowed five goals in one game; pretty flawless the rest of the time.
Joe Pendenza, C, 5-10/190, Junior Bruins, 11/22/90 -- Good skater, creative.
Torin Snydeman, C, 6-0/196, Junior Bruins, 1/15/90 -- Very good skater
Bombers:
The reason they finished last was simple: they didn't have much in the way of players.
Jeff Reppucci, D, 5-9/165, Junior Bruins, 1/21/91 -- Competes, plays hard
Alex Vazzano, G, 6-1/190, The Gunnery, 10/14/90 – Vermont recruit had rough opening game, but bore down after that.
Honorable Mention:
A handful of other players deserve mention, even though they may have lacked the consistency or come up with the big games of the bulk of the players listed above. We liked forward Trevor Mingoia of the Chiefs and Berkshire School. 6’3” defenseman Nick Luuko of Gunnery has size and could be something if he puts it all together. Forward Vince Scotti of the Bombers and Gunnery showed quickness and moved the puck well down low. Jake Goldberg of the Conquistadors and Berkshire can finish. Conor Sheary of the Conquistadors and Cushing Academy put up points, and has speed. 6’1” forward Mike Seward of the Conquistadors and Winchester (Mass.) High School was the best high school player in the tournament.
That’s it.
8/25/09
Big Get for the Eagles
British Columbia’s top defensive prospect, 6’4”, 195 lb. LD Isaac MacLeod, has committed to Boston College for the fall of ’10.MacLeod, who visited east coast campuses in late June, chose BC over Denver, UNH, and BU.
MacLeod, who will be a rookie with the Penticton Vees (BCHL) this season, led his hometown Nelson Leafs to the Kootenay International Jr. B Hockey League championship last winter.
MacLeod, the younger brother of Michigan Tech sophomore forward Alex MacLeod, is a 2/22/92 birthdate. He has size, skating ability, and plays physically and with an edge. He also has an offensive dimension, including a good shot.
MacLeod’s WHL rights are owned by Kamloops, and he could go high in next June’s NHL draft.
BC’s blue line over the next 3-5 years looks to be larger than any we’ve seen them have in a while, if ever. Check it out. There’s 6’0” Ed Shea, 6’2” Patrick Wey, 6’3” Philip Samuelsson, 6’3” Brian Dumoulin, 6’3” Tommy Cross, and – the biggest of them all – MacLeod, at 6’4”.
8/24/09
Big Blueliner Makes His Pick
6’6”, 225 lb. LD Eric Knodel has committed to the University of New Hampshire for the fall of ’10.Knodel, who has played the last two seasons for the Philadelphia Jr. Flyers Midget AAA squad, and will be joining Des Moines (USHL) this fall, was a fifth round draft pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs in June’s NHL draft.
Knodel’s stock shot up last spring, after strong showings at both the Beantown and at Nationals. Michigan State made an offer after Nationals, but Knodel turned it down.
Recently, after Des Moines’ camp, Colorado College, which had lost defense recruit John Moore to Columbus, offered him a full scholarship to come in right away this fall. Knodel turned that down, too.
Clearly, the Pennsylvania native wanted to go to school in the east. He had already visited BU, BC, and UNH, so he knew he had options. UNH offered him, and he accepted.
Knodel, besides the fact that at 6’6” he can cover a lot of space and is very tough to beat 1-on-1, also moves very well for his size – and he’s still growing into his body. Knodel makes good decisions with the puck, and his first passes out of the zone are usually right on the money.
***
5’10”, 175 lb. defenseman Steve Gillard, a University of Maine recruit for the fall of ’11, has made the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL) and has thus decommitted from the Black Bears.
Dillard, a ’92 who played for the St. John’s Fog Devils (Newfoundland Midget AAA) last season, originally committed to Maine in April. He is the third member of Maine’s incoming fall ’11 class to decommit from the Black Bears. Fellow Halifax teammate Brent Andrews and Sarnia (OHL) F Brandon Francisco have also decommitted.
***
Here’s a cautionary tale. Former Thayer Academy defenseman Richie Greer, who burned his NCAA eligibility by playing with the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL), appears to have reached the end of the line in the QMJHL.
Greer, a second round pick of Halifax in the 2007 QMJHL draft, was allowed to leave Halifax and attend the Montreal Junior (QMJHL) training camp on a conditional basis. If he had made the Junior, Halifax would have gotten a draft pick in return. However, the Junior cut him over the weekend. The 6’0”, 168 lb. native of Marshfield, Mass. thus remains the property of Halifax, a team which once wanted him, but clearly no longer does.
If Greer had stayed at Thayer he would have graduated this past spring.
8/20/09
Wagner to Colgate
South Shore Kings (EJHL) 5'11", 185 lb. forward Chris Wagner has accepted a full scholarship from Colgate for the fall of '10.
Wagner just finished the Beantown Classic with a strong performance, posting a 3-2-5 line in five games.
A 5/27/91 birthdate from Walpole, Mass., Wagner is a gritty, physical player who excels in the dirty areas of the ice, but can also finish and make plays. In 38 games for the Kings last season, Wagner had a 20-14-34 line with 72 pims.
Wagner is on Lincoln's protected list, but will play again this fall for the Kings, who will be under new head coach Scott Harlow.
Earlier, Wagner had turned down a 3-for-4 from Colgate, a gamble which had some heads wagging. It paid off, though. Colgate clearly wanted him a great deal because, after the Beantown, they upped their offer -- to the max.
***
We'll be away for a short break. Back next week. Thanks.
8/19/09
Vilardo Decommits
6’0”, 167 lb. LC Michael Vilardo, who committed to Ohio State (for the fall of ’11) last winter, has now de-committed and is back in the pool.A 9/16/92 birthdate who played for the Team Illinois Midget Minor squad last winter, Vilardo will be playing for the Chicago Mission Midget Major in the upcoming season.
We felt Vilardo, a native of Cary, Ill., was one of the elite forwards at the Select 17 Player Development Camp in Rochester last month.
A junior in high school, Vilardo hopes to play in New England, and mentioned Harvard, BC, BU, and UNH as schools of interest to him.
8/19/09
Musical Chairs, Spinning Fast
Word around the rinks is that Colorado College assistant coach Mike Guentzel is the #1 candidate for the job of head coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL). Expect official word from Des Moines on Friday.
Guentzel, 46, has a long resume. He initially made a name for himself as a head coach in the USHL between 1989-94. First, he guided the St. Paul Vulcans to a National Jr. A title in 1991. Then he went on to Omaha, where he was twice named USHL coach of the year. In 1994, he left Omaha to join the University of Minnesota as an assistant from 1994-2008.
Last winter, Guentzel served as an assistant at Colorado College, stepping in when Norm Bazin left to take the Hamilton job.
A former defenseman and team captain with the Gophers, Guentzel has three sons, all of whom play. The oldest, Ryan, is a junior at Notre Dame. Gabe will be a sophomore at CC this season. There is also a younger one playing back home in Minnesota.
***
RPI assistant Shawn Kurulak is leaving his assistant’s position with the Engineers to return to Denver with his family to pursue opportunities outside of hockey. Word around the rinks is that his position will be taken by Bryan Vines, a 30-year-old volunteer assistant at Miami last season. Vines, a big 6’2 defenseman, is an ’02 Denver grad who, after college, spent a couple years playing minor pro, then spent several years with the Colorado Avalanche as video coordinator before going into coaching.
***
Look for Bentley College assistant coach Mark White to be named as an assistant on Brendan Whittet’s staff at Brown.
White, 31, a Woburn, Mass. native, was a defenseman at Arlington Catholic who went on to a PG year at Avon Old Farms. A four-year defenseman at the University of New Hampshire, White went on to play minor pro for a few years, then got into coaching.
He has spent the last five years at Bentley on the staff of Ryan Soderquist, his teammate back at AC.
***
Vermont assistant Willie Mitchell has left the Catamounts staff, and is getting out of the business. We have heard no word on a replacement yet.
***
Trinity College (NESCAC) assistant coach Matt Greason has been hired as an intern coach at the NTDP. Greason, who has spent the last two years at Trinity, played for the Bantams from ’98-02, and was captain his senior year.
After graduation, he coached on John Riley’s staff at Kingswood-Oxford for a year, then was an assistant at the Kent School for four years.
A native of North Bridgton, Maine, Greason was a forward at North Yarmouth Academy before going on to a PG year at the Hill School.
8/18/09
New Assistant for Cedar Rapids
Mark Mullen, who has been an assistant with the Cedar Rapids (USHL) for the last two seasons, has left to take a scouting position with the Los Angeles Kings.Mullen, 28, graduated from BC High, then played in the USHL for a year before going on to Boston University where he was the captain of the Terriers in his senior year, ’03-04.
Hired as Mullen’s replacement on the RoughRiders staff is 6’2” former defenseman Jeff Dwyer, who played at Choate and Yale, then went on to play five years of minor pro.
Dwyer, 28, is from Greenwich, Conn.
***
The New England Fall Prep League early showcase weekend will get underway in ten days – Friday August 28th and run through that weekend. All games will be held at the ICenter in Salem, NH. The weekend’s schedule is up on the league’s web site. Here’s the link:
Fall Prep League Showcase Schedule
8/17/09 We Hardly Knew You
Dave Allison, named head coach of the Des Moines Buccaneers (USHL) earlier in the summer, will not coach there after all.
Inability to obtain a green card was the reason given.
Allison, who coached the Ottawa Senators (NHL) for 25 games in the ’95-96 season is a 50-year-old native of Fort Frances, Ontario. He was the head coach of the Iowa Stars (AHL) from ’05-08.
Des Moines GM J.P. Parise is searching for a replacement for Allison. ”I am talking with three very good coaches right now,” he said. “Unless something unforeseen happens I should have someone for the job in 2-3 days.”
Parise declined to name the three candidates.
Allison, meanwhile, has taken a scouting position with the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL).
8/15/09
U.S. Under-18’s Settle for Fourth
The U.S. Under-18 Select Team was hammered by Sweden 9-2 in the bronze medal game of the 2009 Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament at Breclav, Czech Republic today.The U.S. goals were scored by Connor Brickley (from Austin Watson and Kevin Hayes) and Kyle Rau (from Nick Bjugstad and Ben Marshall). Both goals came in the second period.
Sweden was assessed 15 penalties for 103 minutes, and the U.S. was also assessed 15 penalties for 95 minutes. USA Hockey’s press release wouldn’t list the individual penalties, writing simply, “Individual penalties were not known at time of release.” Funny, but those were the exact same words USA Hockey used when Brandon Maxwell and his teammates threw a nutty after a loss in Russia a couple of years ago. We suspect the US didn’t take today’s loss well, either. The truth will come out, though it won’t be coming from Colorado Springs, Colorado.
-- The gold medal game was won by Canada, 9-2 over Russia. It was the second straight year Canada has beaten Russia to take the champoionship.
Memorial of Ivan Hlinka
Piestany, Slovakia Aug. 11-15
Fri. Aug. 7 – Canada (exhib.) L, 1-6
Sun. Aug. 9 – Czech Republic (exhib.) W, 5-3
Tues. Aug. 11 – Russia L,3-4
Wed. Aug. 12 – Finland W, 3-2
Thurs. Aug. 13 – Slovakia W, 7-6 (OT)
Sat. Aug. 15 – Sweden (Bronze Medal Game) L, 2-9
8/14/09
Skill Over Size for Terriers
Three days after getting a commitment from 5’7”, 160 lb. ’94-born Robert Polesello, Boston University has snagged another small, super-skilled forward in Texas native Cason Hohmann, a 1/10/93 birthdate who is listed as 5’8”, 165 (though we feel that to be very generous).Hohmann, who put up a team-leading 24-32-56 line in 31 regular season games for Compuware’s Under-16 squad last season, was Cedar Rapids’ top pick – and #2 overall – in May’s USHL draft. Hohmann will begin play with Cedar Rapids this fall and matriculate at Boston University in 2011.
An extremely fun player to watch, Hohmann is an offensive machine who sees the ice and possesses top-end skating, stickhandling, and passing abilities. He’s not a big-time finisher, though he will likely improve in that area as he fills out.
An Arlington, Texas native, Hohmann played for the Texas Attack before his entire family uprooted themselves last year and moved to Plymouth, Michigan so the then-15-year-old could play for the Compuware organization.
In our opinion, Hohmann’s skills are superior to a number of forwards – and time will tell what that number will be -- who were chosen for the incoming class at the NTDP.
In March, Hohmann helped lead Compuware to the Under-16 title at Nationals with a 1-13-14 line in six games.
In June, Hohmann was the leading scorer at USA Hockey’s Select 16 Player Development Camp with a 1-8-9 line in six games. Off his play at the camp, Hohmann was named to the U.S. Team headed to the Under-17 Five Nations Tournament next week in Fussen, Germany.
BU, which is parlaying their national title into gold on the recruiting trail, reportedly beat out BC, Denver, and Miami for Hohmann.
***
-- A penalty shot goal by Thayer forward and BU ’10 recruit Charlie Coyle with 6:32 remaining in the third period lifted the U.S. Under-18 Select Team to a 3-2 win over Finland at the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia on Wednesday.
Nobles forward and BC ’11 recruit Kevin Hayes had the other two goals for the U.S.
-- On Thursday, 1:26 into overtime, the Under-18 Selects got an overtime goal from Chicago Steel (USHL) defenseman Kevin Lind off a pass from Colorado College recruit Colten St. Clair of the Fargo Force (USHL) to take a 7-6 decision over Slovakia.
The U.S., which will meet Sweden for the bronze medal on Saturday, got goals from seven different players.
***
The BU-BC outdoor game, scheduled for Fenway Park for Friday night January 8th, will be officially announced with a press conference next Thursday.
The Jan. 8th date has been set since at least June. The long wait before making an official announcement is stunningly anticlimactic. Perhaps it’s taken that long for Hockey East Director of Public Relations Peter Souris to spell check his latest sleep-inducing press release. Whatever the reason, now that the weather is finally good and the best days of summer are here, reporters are expected to drag themselves to a press conference to hear something that everybody already knows about in the first place? A better way to spend an August afternoon is on (or in) the water, or sitting under a tree with a good book, or watching a baseball game… we could go on, but won’t.
We’re not knocking the game – games actually, as the Northeastern-UNH women’s game precedes the men’s game. We think the entire thing is a great idea, and look forward to it. But a dog and pony show in August? Forget it. Hold a press conference the week before the event, à la the Beanpot, and get on with it.
8/14/09
RPI Lands Another Top Recruit
RPI has received a commitment for the fall of ’10 from 6'0”, 190 lb. Ontario LD Nick Quinn. This gives the Engineers another key recruit to go along with forwards Brandon Pirri and Jerry D’AmigoA great skater, Quinn is a high-end power play defenseman. He sees the ice and moves the puck extremely well. Having decided early on that he wanted to play his college hockey in the East, he received a batch of offers from Hockey East and ECAC teams, but his final decision came down to RPI and the University of Vermont.
A 6/12/92 birthdate, Quinn projects as a mid-to- possibly high round pick for the 2010 NHL draft. He was drafted by Sudbury (1st pick of the 2nd round) in the 2008 OHL draft.
With the Toronto Dixie Beehives (OJHL Central Division) last season, Quinn had a 9-16-25 with 56 pims.
This year, he will be playing for the Aurora Tigers (OJAHL). His head coach there, as was the case with the Beehives last season, is his father, Joe Quinn.
8/13/09
O’Regan Makes His Choice
6’0”, 192 lb. LC Tom O’Regan, who will be entering his senior season at St. Sebastian’s, has committed to Harvard for either the fall of ’10 or ’11.O’Regan, who played for former Harvard forward Steve Dagdigian last season and will be playing for former Harvard defenseman and assistant coach Sean McCann this season, chose Harvard over Dartmouth, Yale, and Boston University.
O’Regan is the son of former Matignon and BU center and co-captain Tom O’Regan, who scored 130 points for the Terriers between 1979-83. The elder O’Regan then went on to play 61 games in the NHL (all with the Pittsburgh Penguins) and some minor pro in the U.S. He finished his career playing 11 years in Germany.
The younger O’Regan had a strong Select 17 showing in Rochester last month. A center who uses his size well to make plays down low, he’s not flashy, but he’s smart and consistent. Has good blood lines, too.
At St. Sebastian’s last season, he had a 10-16-26 line in 27 games played. He’s a 3/30/92 birthdate from Needham, Mass.
***
For the second season in a row, Harvard has seen one of their goaltenders receive academic suspensions. Prior to last season, the Crimson’s #1 goalie, Kyle Richter, who had completed his sophomore season, was suspended by the university and returned home to Calgary, Alberta for the academic year. This season, it’s Matt Hoyle who is reported to be academically ineligible.
(We say “reported” because, due to student confidentiality rules, Harvard -- and many other colleges these days -- is prohibited from commenting on a student’s academic status. So, once again, mum’s the word from Ted Donato, his staff, and the university as a whole.)
Unlike Richter, Hoyle, a ’90 birthdate from North York, Ontario who was a freshman last year, has junior eligibility remaining. It’s quite possible Harvard will, as in Richter’s case, allow him to return as a student in the future, though that is pure conjecture. We can tell you with certainty that he won’t be coming back as a hockey player because he’s going major junior with the Guelph Storm (OHL).
The 6’2” Hoyle (along with Adam Comrie, who played one year in the USHL) was recently traded to Guelph from Saginaw. Last week, Guelph’s incumbent #1, Brandon Foote, injured his hip, and will require surgery that will keep him out of action until at least January. So Hoyle could start the season as the Storm’s #1. The team opens training camp August 26th.
In his sole season at Harvard, Hoyle started the season with a very strong November before falling back to earth both on and off the ice. He finished the season with a 3.25 gaa and an .897 save percentage in 20 games played. He did not appear in any games after Feb. 6, as Ryan Carroll took over the rest of the way – and did a very good job.
One interesting aspect of the Hoyle story is that the goaltender’s father, Rick Hoyle, is co-owner and president of the Storm.
As for this year’s Crimson, Richter will be returning from his one-year academic suspension; Carroll will challenge him for playing time; and John Riley will be the #3 guy. So Harvard will be OK in net. Up front, however, they will need to score a few more goals than last season.
8/12/09
Summer Beantown Schedules
Here are the schedules for the Summer Beantown Classic, which starts Sunday at the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Mass.
Beantown Classic Pro Division Schedule
Beantown Classic Futures Division Schedule
Beantown Classic Prospects Division Schedule
Rosters are still being finalized and will be posted here when ready.
Kleinendorst To Head Up U.S. Under-18's
8/11/09
Kurt Kleinendorst, a former star at Providence College who for the past three seasons was head coach of the Lowell Devils (AHL), has been named head coach for this year's Under-18 Team at the NTDP.
In total, Kleinendorst spent nine seasons in the Devils' organization, including five years as a scout. He was fired as head coach at Lowell on July 13.
The team Kleinendorst inherits from John Hynes is, at least on paper, one of the strongest in the program's history. New Englanders will get an early chance to see the squad when they come to BC and BU on Oct. 5-6.
8/10/09
National Junior Team Roster Trimmed
With the US National Junior Evaluation Camp invitees set to begin a week of four exhibition games vs. Russia, cut-down day at Lake Placid, NY came yesterday.
Five defensemen and nine forwards were cut, though they will continue to be evaluated throughout the fall. No goalies were cut.
Head coach Dean Blais kept five D pairings and five forward lines.
The cut players are:
Defensemen:
Sean Lorenz ’90 (Littleton, Colo./Notre Dame – NCAA)
Philip Samuelsson ‘91(Scottsdale, Ariz./Chicago -- USHL)
Beau Schmitz ‘91(Howell, Mich./Plymouth -- OHL)
Patrick Wey ’91 (Pittsburgh, Pa./Waterloo -- USHL)
William Wrenn ’91 (Anchorage, Ak/U.S. Under-18)
Forwards:
Mike Cichy ’90 (New Hartford, Conn./Indiana -- USHL)
Justin Florek ’90 (Marquette, Mich./Northern Michigan – NCAA)
Kevin Lynch ’91 (Grosse Pointe, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Tyler Maxwell ’91 (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Everett -- WHL)
Drew Shore ’91 (Denver, Colo./U.S. Under-18)
A.J. Treais ’91 (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Mitch Wahl ’90 (Seal Beach, Calif./Spokane --WHL)
David Wohlberg ’90 (South Lyon, Mich./Michigan – NCAA)
Andrew Yogan ’91 (Boca Raton, Fla./Erie – OHL)
The remaining 29-man roster:
Goaltenders (4):
Jack Campbell ’92 (Port Huron, Mich./U.S. Under-17)
Connor Knapp ’90 (York, N.Y./Miami – NCAA)
Mike Lee ’90 (Roseau, Minn./Fargo -- USHL)
Brandon Maxwell ’91 (Winter Park, Fla./U.S. Under-18)
Defensemen (10):
John Carlson ’90 (Colonia, N.J./London -- OHL)
Adam Comrie ’90 (Ashburn, Va./Saginaw Spirit -- OHL)
Matt Donovan ’90 (Edmond, Okla./Cedar Rapids -- USHL)
Cam Fowler ’91 (Farmington Hills, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Jake Gardiner ’90 (Minnetonka, Minn./Wisconsin -- NCAA)
Nick Leddy ’91 (Eden Prairie, Minn./Eden Prairie HS)
John Moore ‘90 (Winnetka, Ill./Chicago -- USHL)
Aaron Ness ‘90 (Roseau, Minn./Minnesota – NCAA)
David Warsofsky ’90 (Marshfield, Mass./Boston University -- NCAA)
Chris Wideman ’90 (St. Louis, Mo./Miami – NCAA)
Forwards (15):
Ryan Bourque ’91 (Boxford, Mass./U.S. Under-18)
Zach Budish ’91 (Edina, Minn./Edina HS)
Robbie Czarnik ’90 (Washington, Mich./Michigan – NCAA)
Jerry D’Amigo ’91 (Binghamton, N.Y./U.S. Under-18)
AJ Jenks ’90 (Wolverine Lake, Mich./Plymouth -- OHL)
Tyler Johnson ’90 (Spokane, Wash./Spokane -- WHL)
Chris Kreider ’91 (Boxford, Mass./Phillips Andover)
Danny Kristo ’90 (Eden Prairie, Minn./Omaha -- USHL)
Philip McRae ’90 (Chesterfield, Mo./London -- OHL)
Jeremy Morin ’91 (Auburn, N.Y./U.S. Under-18)
Kyle Palmieri ’91(Montvale, N.J./U.S. Under-18)
Kenny Ryan ’91 (Franklin Village, Mich./U.S. Under-18)
Vinny Saponari ’90 (Powder Springs, Ga./Boston University – NCAA)
Jordan Schroeder ’90 (Prior Lake, Minn./Minnesota –NCAA)
Derek Stepan ’90 (Hastings, Minn./Wisconsin – NCAA)
Team Staff:
Head Coach: Dean Blais Assistant Coaches: John Hynes, Mark Osiecki, Joe Exter. General Manager: Jim Johannson. Director of Player Personnel: Tim Taylor. Video Coach: Jay Varady. Camp Coaches: Tony Granato, Mark Carlson.
This Week’s 2009 U.S. National Junior Evaluation Camp Schedule
All games at Lake Placid, NY
Tues. 8/11 USA vs. Russia, 6:00 pm
Wed. 8/12 Russia vs. USA, 6:00 pm
Fri.. 8/14 USA vs. Russia, 7:00 pm
Sat. 8/15 USA vs. Russia, 5:00 pm
This winter’s IIHF World Junior Championship will be held Dec. 26, 2009-Jan. 5, 2010 in Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan.
8/10/09 updated
Who's Next Up at NTDP?
Reliable sources indicate that Peter Laviolette, who has a Stanley Cup ring as head coach of the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes, is currently the leading contender for the position of interim head coach of the U.S. Under-18 Team.Other reliable sources indicate that former Providence College forward Kurt Kleinendorst, who was fired as head coach of the Lowell Devils (AHL) on July 13th (and replaced by John MacLean) is also a strong candidate.
The position opened up when John Hynes was recently hired as an assistant with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (AHL).
Laviolette, 44, who was also the head coach of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Team (Turin, Italy), is a graduate of Franklin, Mass. High School who went on to play his college hockey at Westfield State.
A 6’2”, 200 lb. defenseman, Laviolette played on the ’88 Olympic Team in Calgary, Alberta where he was a teammate of Jim Johannson, USA Hockey’s Assistant Executive Director of Hockey Operations.
After Laviolettte’s pro playing career – mostly spent in the AHL, though he did make the New York Rangers for 12 games in ’88-89 – ended, he turned to coaching, first with the Wheeling Nailers (ECHL). Four years later, after being bypassed for the Boston job, Laviolette was named head coach of the NY Islanders, a position he held for two years before moving on to Carolina, where he was head coach from 2003 until he was fired December 3, 2008, less than a month after picking up his 240th career win and becoming the winningest US-born coach in NHL history (John Tortorella has subsequently broken the record).
Since getting fired by Carolina, Laviolette has worked as an analyst for TSN.
Kleinendorst was a mainstay on the powerful Lou Lamoriello-coached Friars teams of the early '80s. In his senior year of '82-83, he had a line of 33-39-72 in 41 games and was named ECAC Player of the Year, an NCAA All-American, and a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
Former Bruins head coach Mike Sullivan's name has also been bandied about, but he is not a candidate, having been recently hired as an assistant with the New York Rangers.
8/10/09
Brown Has #1 Assistant Lined Up
Look for Brown University to name Jerry Keefe as the program’s #1 assistant.
Keefe, 33, was the head coach at Westfield State last season, as the program returned to varsity status after a 20-year hiatus. Prior to that he worked as an assistant at UMass-Boston.
A native of Billerica, Mass., Keefe played for Matignon in the early ‘90s, winning a Mass. State championship. He then went on to Cushing Academy for a year, and then the Omaha Lancers (USHL) for two years. From ’96-00, Keefe, a center, played at Providence College. In his junior year, he led the Friars in scoring with a 16-36-52 line in 35 games played.
After his college career ended, Keefe played minor pro for five years.
8/9/09
BU Lands Top Prospect
5’7”, 160 lb. ’94-born Robert Polesello visited Agganis Arena yesterday and made an on-the-spot commitment to the Terriers for the fall of ’12.
Despite the fact that it was a breezy and clear New England day, Boston University head coach Jack Parker came in off the water to make sure he got this prospect all wrapped up.
For more on Polesello, who played up with the Toronto Jr. Canadiens ’93 team last winter, please see the USHR News of 7/31/09.
Polesello has been the subject of a recruiting battle between BU, BC, UNH, and Michigan this summer.
***
6’2”, 220 lb. Indiana (USHL) defenseman Anthony Bitetto has committed to Northeastern for the fall of ’10.
Bitetto, a rugged, hard-nosed, defensive defenseman from Island Park, NY, played the first half of last season with New York Apple Core (EJHL), where he was the team captain.
After 30 games in the EJHL he was traded to Indiana just before the trade deadline. In his 24 games with Indiana, he had a 1-3-4 line with 29 pims.
Bitetto, a 7/15/90 birthdate, will play the full upcoming season with Indiana, one of seven returnees for the defending Clark Cup champions.
8/6/09
The Life of the Reillys
The Reilly Twins of Holy Angels have committed to the Gophers.
The twins, Connor and Ryan, were linemates last season for the Academy of Holy Angels in Richfield, Minn. Connor, a left center, posted a 29-32-61 line in 23 games while Ryan, a left shot wing, had a 15-24—39 line in 17 games.
The twins, who are entering their senior season, are both on the Sioux Falls Stampede (USHL) Futures List and will play there in 2010-11.
They will matriculate at the U in the fall of ’11.
Connor is 5’10”, 165 lbs. Ryan is 5’6”, 150 lbs. Both are 10/1/91 birthdates.
***
Speaking of Holy Angels, the biggest surprise of June’s NHL draft -- for us, anyway -- was that Danny Mattson was totally passed over. NHL Central Scouting had him at #53 in their final ranking of North American skaters, but when draft day came…. nothing for young Mr. Mattson.
A 5’11”, 175 lb. right-shot center who can also play wing, Mattson, an 11/20/90 birthdate, chose the University of North Dakota over Minnesota and Wisconsin. After spending the upcoming season with Omaha, Mattson will join the Fighting Sioux in the fall of ’10.
A couple of years back we were dazzled by Mattson’s combination of speed and great mitts – to say nothing of his accurate shot and ice vision. At the time we thought he had all the earmarks of a player who would go in the top few rounds.
Instead, he was totally passed over – and many of the players he was lapped by possessed 1/10th his skill level.
After the draft we asked an NHL scout why his team completely passed over Mattson. Why, we asked, was Mattson not even worth taking in the 7th round?
"Too perimeter,” we were told.
Apparently, 29 other teams agreed.
8/6/09 (rosters updated 8/8/09)
BU Showcase Info
Last summer’s Boston University College Hockey Showcase (for high school and prep players) was a big success, not just for the Terriers, who offered LW Wade Megan and D Sean Escobedo right out of the camp, but for other schools, too.This year’s camp, the second annual, will run from Mon-Thurs. Aug. 10-13 at Boston University’s Walter Brown Arena.
The camp is structured like Minnesota’s Model Camp. In addition to the Boston University staff, Greg Brown (BC), David Lassonde (UNH), Pat Foley (Harvard), C.J. Marottolo (Yale), Keith Fisher (Princeton), Red Gendron (UMass), and Albie O’Connell (Northeastern) will also be coaching.
Each of the eight teams (there were just four last year) will have one 60-minute practice in the morning, followed by a game in the afternoon or evening. On the fourth day (Thurs.) there will be no morning practices – just games.
Here is the game schedule. For team rosters, please click on the link to the Excel spreadsheet at the bottom of this article. You will find eight rosters -- look for the tabs at the bottom of the spreadsheet.
Mon. Aug. 10, 2009:
1:00 pm – Blue vs. White
3:00 pm – Red vs. Green
5:00 pm – Royal vs. Black
7:00 pm – Gold vs. Grey
Tues. Aug. 11, 2009:
1:00 pm – Black vs. Gold
3:00 pm – Royal vs. Grey
5:00 pm – Blue vs. Green
7:00 pm – Red vs. White
Wed. Aug. 12, 2009:
1:00 pm – Red vs. Royal
3:00 pm – Grey vs. Green
5:00 pm – Black vs. White
7:00 pm -- Gold vs. Blue
Thurs. Aug. 13, 2009:
8:00 am – Grey vs. White
10:00 am -- Blue vs. Red
Noon -- Royal vs. Gold
2:00 pm – Black vs. Green
Showcase Rosters By Team (Excel Document)
8/5/09
Additional Notes
Last week (7/31, to be precise), we posted a brief write up on opening night action at the Beantown Fall Classic, highlighting a few players we thought were deserving of a little ink.
We have a few more players we should mention – and here we are focusing on kids from outside our home base of Mass/New England, an area that already gets more than its fair share of coverage here.
So… how about 5’11”, 175 lb. ’92 forward Ryan Donohoe of Team Ontario, who, by the way, is interested in the New England prep route? He played well. From Team Calgary, 5’10”, 175 lb. forward Riley Point, a 9/10/92 birthdate, was very good, as was fellow forward Adam Lowry, a 6’3”, 165 lb. ’93 birthdate.
We already mentioned ’93 forward Judd Peterson of Team Minnesota and Duluth Denfeld HS. Other Minnesotans who emerged were ’92 forward Hunter Bergerson (Duluth East HS), ’93 forward Ben Walker (Edina HS), and ’93 forward Trevor Olson (Duluth East HS).
Little Caesar’s had four players named Zach on their roster. We think parents of newborns should cool it with that name. Mix it up a little. You want names? Try Adolphus, Enville, Delaplain, Nelson, Enoch, Ephraim, Gideon, Willard, Godfrey, Garnet, Chester – we have hundreds for you. Anyway, a couple of the Zachs on Caesar’s deserving of a shout out were a pair of ’93 forwards – 6’2”, 170 lb. Zach Saar and 6’1”, 180 lb. Zach Badalamenti.
***
At the Beantown Summer Classic (Aug. 16-18; Marlborough, Mass.) there already is a Pro Division and a Futures Division. That isn’t changing. However, there will now also be a new “Prospects Division” as well, and it will be running at the same time as the rest of the tournament (the Women’s Division returns this year as well).
The Prospects Division could prove useful for bantam, pre-prep, prep, and midget program coaches and is broken down this way:
’94s/’95s -There will be two teams consisting of players born in 1994 and 1995 that will practice together and then play against each other in three games. (In addition, there will be a small number of 94's playing up in the Futures Division.)
’96s/’97s – Same as above: There will be two teams consisting of players born in 1996 and 1997 that will practice together and then play against each other in three games.
Since there are no tryouts for these younger divisions (except for those ‘94s who are trying out for the Futures Division), there may still be some room for interested players. Email the tournament at: info@beantownclassic.com and they will look over what they get.
Reportedly, the response so far has been excellent, with players coming in from Texas, California, Toronto, New York, New Jersey, and, of course, Boston and the rest of New England.
***
We’ve been critical of Hockey Night in Boston in the recent past but observers at this summer’s six-team HNIB Elite Tournament felt the level of play was very good. Team New England, coached by Sean Tremblay, beat Sweden in the final. The speed and pace of the games was excellent, and the Swedish and Finnish coaches on Sunday each said the competition was very good and the kids had a great time. The European players had to adjust to the smaller ice surface, but also appreciated the fact that they had no place to hide. Both the Swedish and Finnish squads also got in a lot of sightseeing and shopping, and were seen wearing all sorts of newly-purchased apparel from MLB, the NHL and the NFL.
On Sunday, the Finnish and Swedish teams each played two 20-minute period games against four HNIB Major Showcase All Star teams in order to give them a little taste of international competition as a reward. One of the HNIB teams' players and parents were an absolute embarrassment to themselves and the tournament, exhibiting boorish and thuggish behavior during the game with Sweden. There were several fights and disqualifications on the ice and a lot of yelling from the stands. There were three very vocal parents (two fathers and a mother, two of whom might even have been married), who were sitting far apart but were the most visible. The referees got an earful, too. Of course, every time Sweden scored, the kids on the bench celebrated by applauding in the direction of this one particular mother. The final was 6-2, and after the game the European players saluted the stands, driving this maniacal mother to start to head for the door where the players came off the ice. She decided not to, fortunately. Cushing's Rob Gagnon was the coach, and was embarrassed by some of his players' behavior. Most of the players on the squad were chosen from the Greater Boston team.
8/5/09
Musical Chairs
Look for an official announcement soon from Dartmouth College naming John Rose as Brendan Whittet’s replacement on the Big Green staff.
A Potsdam, NY native, Rose graduated from the South Kent School in 1999, and went on to New England College, where he was a defenseman. (UNH associate head coach Scott Borek, a Dartmouth grad, coached Rose there for one season.)
After graduating from college in ’03, Rose went into coaching as an assistant, first at Wentworth Institute of Technology (one season), then at Mercyhurst (three seasons), Alaska-Fairbanks (one season) and, last season, the Tri-City Storm (USHL).
Rose is hard-working and knows the player pool well. This summer, he worked as a coach at numerous USA Hockey Player Development Camps.
***
Brown is looking for a pair of assistants. Brendan Whittet offered the #1 assistant’s position to Yale’s Kyle Wallack, and Wallack mulled it over, but last night made the decision to stay at Yale.
***
Former Brown assistant Scott Stirling is reported to have been hired as an assistant at Bowling Green. Stirling, the son of former college, NHL, and AHL head coach Steve Stirling, was a goaltender at Brown, graduating in ’00. He then played seven years of minor pro before returning to Brown as an assistant.
***
Word out of Colorado Springs indicates that the NTDP may be looking for an interim head coach to take over John Hynes’ position, and then undergoing a full-blown job search after the upcoming season. For now, though, we are hearing Tim Taylor’s name being bandied about. However, Taylor is already set to return to New England to take the position as director of player personnel for the U.S. National Junior Team, evaluating eligible players up until the team is named in late fall. Former NTDP head coach Bob Mancini is already back in the USA Hockey fold after having been recently hired as a Michigan regional manager for the American Development Model. He’d be an excellent choice, too. We think Union College head coach Nate Leaman might be a candidate, though we can’t see him giving up the security he has now for an interim position. Leaman has worked with Ron Rolston at several USA Hockey international events. We’ve also heard there are a couple of out-of-work pro guys who have made inquiries, though we haven’t been able to confirm their names.
8/3/09
Former BC Captain Joe Cleary, at 39
Joe Cleary, a former defenseman at Cushing Academy who went on to play four years at Boston College, and captained the ’91-92 team, died over the weekend.
Cleary, 39, was a Westwood, Mass. resident who worked in commercial real estate in Boston. He leaves a wife and young son.
The funeral mass will be held in St. Joseph Church on Common St. in Belmont, Mass. Wed. at 10:30 am.
Cleary, a fifth-round draft pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1988 NHL entry draft, played in the minors for two years after graduating from BC.
The cause of death has not been officially released.
8/4/09
A New Assistant for Merrimack
Look for Merrimack College to name Glenn Stewart as the Warriors’ new assistant coach.Stewart, a 39-year-old native of Scarborough, Ont., was a forward at UNH, graduating in ’94. After a nine-year career playing minor pro, he went into coaching. After a year at AIC, he was hired at UConn, where he has been for the last five seasons.
Stewart replaces Darren Yopyk, who was recently hired as head coach of the Westside Warriors (BCHL).
8/4/09 Hynes to Leave NTDP for AHL
John Hynes, who has been a head coach in the NTDP for the past seven seasons, will be leaving the program to take a position as an assistant coach with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Hynes was scheduled to coach the Under-18s this season. A search for his replacement is underway.
A Rhode Island native, Hynes is a ’97 Boston University grad. He recently turned down an offer to become a Terrier assistant when a spot created by David Quinn taking a position with Cleveland (AHL) opened up.
Hynes started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at BU, then moved on to the NTDP as a grad assistant from ’98-00. After working as an assistant at UMass-Lowell and the University of Wisconsin, Hynes returned to the NTDP in November 2003, taking over for Moe Mantha, who had just resigned.
8/4/09 Last-Minute Wildcat
The opening was there because UNH was facing a numbers problem after Ryan Bourque bailed for the Q at the last minute. In addition, James van Riemsdyk turned pro, Matt White was unable to get admitted, and Danny Dries was kicked off the team in March.
Speelman, a 2/9/90 birthdate, is a San Jose, Calif. native who played for the San Jose Jr. Sharks Midget AAA team before moving on to the USHL last fall. As a rookie with Green Bay, Speelman put up a 21-21-42 line, so he brings offense.
There was reported to be pressure on him to stay in Green Bay --- both from the Gamblers and other Div. I schools – and under ideal circumstances UNH might have wanted him there another year, too. But UNH needs him now.
***
UNH also got a commitment for the fall of '10 from Fargo (USHL) goaltender Cody Campbell, a Colorado Springs, Col. native who played with Fargo (USHL) last season.
Campbell, a 5-11”, 145 lb. ’92 birthdate, played behind St. Cloud State recruit Mike Lee at Fargo last season. Campbell got in 17 games and posted a .895 save percentage and a 2.99 gaa.
A standout at the recent Select 17 Player Development Camp in Rochester, NY, Campbell was named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will be traveling to the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia Aug. 11-15. 6’2” Zane Gothberg (Thief River Falls HS), who just committed to North Dakota, will be the other goaltender on that team.
8/4/09
Boyd Commits
-- The University of Minnesota has a commitment from 5’10”, 165 lb. RC Travis Boyd of Hopkins HS.
Boyd, who visited North Dakota and Wisconsin last week as well, had a 26-25-51 line in 26 games for Hopkins last season – as a freshman.
A Minnetonka, Minn. native, Boyd, a 9/14/93 birthdate, will be playing in the NTDP the next two years.
We felt Boyd was clearly the best forward at June’s Select 16 Player Development Camp in Rochester, NY. He can skate, he sees the ice extremely well, he has a great stick, and an accurate shot.
***
… Leaverton, Too
Leaverton, a big defensive d-man from Painesville, Ohio (that’s northeast of Cleveland), played for the Mahoning Valley Phantoms (NAHL) from ’05-07, then Cedar Rapids from ’07-09.
Leaverton is a 1/17/89 birthdate. Last season, in 52 regular–season games, he had a 1-3-4 line with 86 pims.
8/1/09
Mayfield Commits
6’4”, 185 lb. lb RD Scott Mayfield, a Webster Groves, Missouri native who starred at the recent U.S. Select 17 Player Development Camp in Rochester, NY, has committed to the University of Denver for the fall of ’11.
Mayfield, recently named to the U.S. Under-18 Select Team that will be traveling to the Memorial of Ivan Hlinka Tournament in Piestany, Slovakia Aug. 11-15, is a large, smooth-skating, hard-nosed defender with excellent hockey sense. He also has an offensive dimension, as he moves the puck well and can shoot it. We had him as our #2-ranked defenseman in Rochester, trailing only Gopher recruit Ben Marshall of Mahtomedi HS. The two are different types of players, but exemplars of their style of play.
Last winter, playing for the St. Louis AAA Blues Under-16 Team, Mayfield posted a 15-30-45 line in 45 games.
Mayfield will be playing for the Youngstown Phantoms (USHL) this season.
He’s a late ’92 – 10/14/92, to be precise – so will not be draft-eligible until 2011. He will be a junior in high school this fall.
Mayfield’s father earned both his undergraduate and graduate degree from the University of Denver.
